Jan 1, 2011

What color was your hair when you were born?

I have been a bit neglectful for several days now but since the first few questions in my new book have been the same as the last then I felt I could wait. However this question was one I don't remember answering the last time around. My hair was a sandy red. Not a real dark red but red anyway.

Dec 31, 2010

If you were to make a New Year's Resolution this year, what might it be?

Since, for the first time, I have actually been able to complete a goal from the last New Year's Resolutions I am a little more willing to try again. Last year I decided that I would complete this little book and answer all of the questions as best as I could do and this being the last entry of the year I have accomplished it. I didn't do it every day as I had to group some together and type them when I could get time to do them. Anyway it is nearly finished and I must admit that I have enjoyed the journey back through my memories. I have lost a lot of detail but that has to be expected I guess. I do appreciate Hayden and Cheyenne staring me down this road with that special Christmas gift. Thank You and I hope that each of you have learned a little along the way as well. I will actually be continuing this exercise however due to a birthday gift from mom. She gave me an LDS version of the same type of thing. I have answered many of the questions in that book since it still deals with the same subject so since you will already have received the answer once I will substitute some of my life's stories instead on those days where the questions are repeated. I may answer some again just for formality but those will be few. Thanks again for a wonderful journey and I am looking forward to this resolution being completed as well.

The End

for 2010.

Dec 30, 2010

What special memories do you have of New Year's Eve or New year's Day?

Most of what I recall from New Years was staying up playing Monopoly until time to welcome in the new year. It was always pretty hard to stay up though since we were up early each morning to milk the cows and new years day was no different, the cows didn't observe our holidays too well.

I remember one year however that was really a different experience. Dad and Mom decided to travel to New Orleans to see Alma and Loyle. It is real easy to remember how old I was for that trip too since I had just received my driver's license and this would be a chance to use it. Stan and I were invited to go along so the four of us went. I had a couple of stints driving but not too much since Stan and Dad pretty much traded off. It was a long trip that took two full days of driving for both going and coming. I had a chance to drive from the state line of Louisiana to almost Baton Rouge. There was a huge football game being played in New Orleans and I happened to be driving when we got into a huge traffic jam just before Baton Rouge. When we had a chance Stan took over at the wheel, I was quite OK with that as well too. We stayed for a few days and spent New Year's Eve there with Alma. I still remember the new year's activities pretty well. We went for a drive into the French Quarter's of New Orleans. We went once during the day and saw all of the shops and things that were really quite neat and then Loyle took us back that night and we had to keep the windows up and the doors locked as it had turned into the Devil's playground and there were men trying to get you out of the car and into the topless, and sometime much worse, bars. Mom was really glad when we got out of there. We had a huge Monopoly game that night but I was somehow let out of it early and couldn't keep my eyes opened so i went to bed and then was awakened by the huge display of fireworks> There were all kinds and there were no laws against the types either as there was in Utah. It seemed everyone had a huge portion of them and I couldn't sleep through it had I wanted too.

We went across the 20 mile bridge that spans Lake Pontcatrain and visited part of Florida. We saw where damage had been done by the last hurricane earlier that season and where a tornado had wiped out parts of Metarie where Alma and Loyle lived. It was a fun vacation and little did I know that while traveling to and from I would go through parts of what were to be in my mission filed just three short years later in Texas. I often thought about that trip when in Texas too.

On the way home I was once again driving when we hit the eye of a snow storm near the four corners area in Colorado. Once again to ease mother's back seat driving I was relieved of the post and it was again given to Stan. By that time though we had almost passed through the worst of the storm, however once again I was quite OK with the switch from being the driver as it was pretty darn scary.

Dec 28-29, 2010

Is there anything else that you would like me to know about my childhood.

Here again this requires multiple answers that would make this super long. Each of you though have had a lot of special experiences from church, school and community activities. We have tried to teach you the gospel through service in the church and by example. It has not always been the best and I hope you will forgive me of my short comings but also realize that I have worked hard to make your childhood special and good. I had a wonderful childhood and was raised by exceptional parents and other loved ones. I hope you feel that you have been blessed by that example given to me. I often worry about the challenges that lie before you as you raise your families knowing the temptations that each of your children will face but I know that so far you have been doing a great job and I applaud you for that work but I also promise that it will get harder and take a lot more effort as you raise them through their teenage years. It will be so important to help them find and keep good friends just as each of you have had as you went through those years. It will also be important to be there at their calls to service, games, plays and all of the other things that will shape their lives. Know their friends and be friends to them as well without losing the adult role that you will play in their lives as well. Be there for their scouting and Young Women's activities as much as possible and bear testimonies of the gospel as often as you can verbally and through hard work and service. I love each of you and are so happy with the choices that you have made in choosing a spouse. That person is also very important to us since we know they play a vital role in teaching your children also. You have wonderful families and we love each of you so much. Work hard and love harder so that they will have all of the blessings that our Heavenly father has waiting for you and your families. I want you o know how much I love my brothers and sisters and know that much of your strength will come from loving your siblings and forgiving each other of any things that they might have done to hurt you even though they most likely don't even know that it happened. I also love my grandparents so much and know that they loved me, help your children to know how much we also love them and see the beauty of their spirits. Thank You again for being patient with me and may the Lord Bless you through your lives as you strive hard to live the gospel each and every day. Thank you Hayden and Cheyenne for this opportunity to write something for each day of the year even though at times I have had to do it in streaks as I had time to sit and type as it takes me so long to get onto the screen what I am thinking n my mind. Forgive me for so many memories that have slipped beyond my grasp and enjoy the ones that have happened to get stuck in their various forms of completeness and truth. I have tried to record them as best as I can recall but realize also that the brain records and plays back with some things omitted or changed due to age and experience value with it also recalling things sometimes as you might have wished it to be rather than what it might have actually been. memory is a strange thing but it shapes our lives and helps us to become what we are regardless of pure historical fact. Now be all you can be, do all you can do, love all that you can love and live with God as the center of your thoughts and actions as well as you can realizing that we all make mistakes but that was why our Heavenly Father sent us a perfect Son to make it possible through repentance to return pure and clean to Heavenly Father and Mother and live as families eternally in love and peace.

Dec 27, 2010

Do you remember celebrating any special wedding anniversaries of your parents or grandparents?

Yes, it was my Grandfather and Grandmother Hansen's 50th wedding anniversary. It was celebrated in Centerfield, Utah. That happened 0n June 25th near the June 10, 1965 actual 50th wedding anniversary date. We had a family picture taken and of those that were living by that time the only three missing were Stan (on a mission in Argentina) and Alma and Jean my cousin. Three other cousins who had been born and passed away in childhood of course were also not in the picture. It was a big celebration and besides the approximately 50 family members that were there we also had a lot of people from Gunnison, Manti, and Centerfield (and that is only a few of the towns where they came from) come who knew Grandpa as a Stake President and holder of many other callings in the church in that area. He and grandma were loved by many people whose lives they had touched through their service in the church and community. He was also a Patriarch and gave over 6 hundred Patriarchal Blessings. It was a fantastic time for all of us.

Dec 26, 2010

Share any other Christmas memory.

I don't remember any other specifics right now. I have told about the books and guns and the homemade and boughten gifts. About the grandparents, other relatives, siblings and children's involvement. I have not remembered a lot and forgotten even a lot more but the one most consistent thing through the years has been the joys and laughter as families have gotten together because of this special time of year. It is therefore a good time to once again bear testimony of the truth of this event as recorded in the Holy Scriptures and through the histories of recorded time. It is hard to know the real truth concerning all of the events, for instance, were there three wise men or four or were there three gifts that were given by just a couple of them. Were they there the night of His birth as depicted in the stable scenes each year or was he nearing his second birthday since we know that it was recorded that the King ordered all male children 2 years and younger to be killed when the wise men didn't return to tell him where the child lived. Did the wise men thus follow the star for two years or did their journey only last 11 days. We don't know any of the real answers to most of these question only that it actually happened and even that is questioned by many today.

Well I for one know that it did happen and not at Christmas time as decided by a pagan king. It did occur and the most important king of all was born, lived and died then raised from the dead to make it possible for all of us to return to our Heavenly father into His Kingdom to live forever with them as a family. We can also become like our Father there and have eternal increase just as he has. I don't comprehend all of this but know that it is our promise from Him to whom we owe total and complete reverence, respect and love. I look forward to meeting them even though I do not know all of the details of how that will happen only that it will and I am working hard to be ready for that day. I do know that God lives, that Christ is my Savior, that the Book of Mormon is the most correct book on the earth and the truths contained in it are true and with the Bible they stand to prove all other religions are not true no matter where in the world they were created. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet called to restore this glorious truth and that Pres Monson is a true and living prophet toady for us. It has been my special opportunity to work with his son Clark Monson and through that relationship learned how very real Pres Thomas Monson is as a father and leader of the church. He is so special to each of us as has been all of the prophets that I have had the opportunity to know during my life beginning with Pres. McKay. This is the only true church on the face of the earth and it is rolling forth throughout the earth to grow in all nations until Jesus Christ can return as our King on this earth. I know this to be true and write it in the name of Him whose life we celebrate each year at this time even Jesus Christ, our Brother. Amen

Dec 25, 2010

Tell about the most memorable gifts that I have given you.

Ok now that is putting me on the spot. I cannot remember specific gifts given through the years. We amy need to have a family party where all we do is sit and talk about the Christmas memories that we have. It is always easier to recall when you begin to talk about them with others and that then brings you mind back to the specifics and what one doesn't remember someone else usually does. For instance Ben and Hayden were talking about the cork guns this year and had I been smart I would have had them continue on with as many years as they could. Another time I suppose.

I have a note written on this page also and must mention it for Hayden's sake. This is probably the most memorable gift that he will have ever given to me and in return I to each of you for it has taken a daily vigilance through the entire year of 2010 to accomplish it. The little book with each of it's questions has reminded me how much I have forgotten and yet also brought to my mind many special memories through the years that have shaped my life. It has been a lot of fun but now it has only begun since Marie gave me one for next year that is specifically LDS oriented and I will continue this blog using that book. I will also insert stories from my history story collection for days when the questions are similar to or been answered by questions in this book.

Dec 24, 2010

Tell about the most memorable gifts that you have given me.

Since this is written for each of you then I can only generalize since I don't remember very many specific gifts given through the years. I remember dolls and bikes and snow boards and cork guns but which years that they happened and to whom they were specifically given are far beyond me now. I do remember taking pictures every year that hopefully are somewhere in my storage of negatives and I remember video taping several of them but I would have to go back to them now in order to remember specifics. We always let you each set your stocking where you wanted and there were times that they were set with lots of rom in anticipation of some big presents. One year it took us nearly four or maybe up to six hours to assemble one of the gifts but for the life of me I can only remember it taking a long time but can't remember what it was.I also remember that it took all of the front room up to accomplish it and that there was no where to move around during that process.

Dec 23, 2010

Did your family observe the birth of Jesus at Christmas? In what ways?

Yes we did. We always read the story of his birth from Luke chapter 2 and Matthew. We would sometimes act out the parts as well. It was always read on Christmas Eve and was the best part of the holiday. There were also plenty of school plays and Church plays and parties that we would have where we would have the stable scene acted out or the story read and dramatized in some fashion also accompanied by plenty of Christmas song singing. we also would have hay rides nearly every year sponsored by various school or church groups. they re always fun and plenty cold. It was also taught most every year that we are only celebrating His birth but due to modern revelation we know the actual birth took place on April 6. Thus that is why General Conference is always on the weekend nearest to that date.

Dec 22, 2010

Tell about Holiday celebrations at a relative's house during your childhood.

Here again I draw a blank. I don't remember any celebrations at any relatives homes since we always had Grandma P with us at our home and the parties prior to Christmas were always held at school or church.